What does "syncopate" mean?

to omit a vocalic or consonantal sound or a syllable from a word; to use syncope

What is a synonym for "syncopate"?

Common synonyms include: jive, rag, swing.

Pronounced //ˈsɪŋkəpeɪt//.

//ˈsɪŋkəpeɪt// verb

verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Verb

1
to omit a vocalic or consonantal sound or a syllable from a word; to use syncope transitive
2
modify the rhythm by stressing or accenting a weak beat wordnet
3
to stress or accentuate the weak beat of a rhythm; to use syncopation transitive
4
omit a sound or letter in a word wordnet

From Medieval Latin syncopātus, past participle of syncopō, from Late Latin syncopa, from Ancient Greek σύν (sún, “with”) + κόπτω (kóptō, “cut”).

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.